Glenn Dickson – cl
Gary Bohan – tr
Michael McLaughlin – p, acc
Brandon Seabrook – git, banjo
Jim Gray- tuba
Eric Rosenthal – drums
Back with new CD Blood in 2016!
„Feurige Improvisationen in komplexe Arrangements webend, in einem Stil der an Mingus in seinen besten Zeiten erinnert, hat die Bostener Gruppe Naftule’s Dream eine instrumentelle Musik mit Leidenschaft und Intensität geschaffen.Ihr Album „Search for the golden Dreydl“ wurde von John Zorn auf seinem „radical jewish culture“- Label „Tzadik“ veröffentlicht.Die Band hat ausserdem mit regelmässigen Auftritten in der Knitting Factory in New York und auf dem internationalen Ashkenaz Festival der Neuen jüdischen Kultur in Toronto für Aufsehen gesorgt.
Von abenteuerlichen Originalen bis hin zu überraschenden Wiederauflagen traditioneller jüdischer Stücke,stützt sich Naftule’s Dream auf die exotischen Modalitäten Osteuropas, die improvisierende Ästhetik des New-Jazz und die klar abgesteckten Ränder des Rock, Musik des mittleren Ostens und Klezmer.Mit ihren preisgewinnenden Komponisten und virtuosen Improvisierern, bewegen sich Naftule’s Dream auf der Linie zwischen freier Improvisation und dichter Komposition“.
english
Starting off with an urgent air raid warning, clearing the air, this album tumbles into a joyous energy and urgency that surpass even the wonderful „In search of the golden dreydl.“ Opening with a reprise of „Black Wedding“, an instrumental that closed their first Shirim album, „of angels and horseraddish“.
Indeed, even as I want to say that this album moves far beyond klezmer into exploring new music–not particularly Jewish music, rather, new music as is played by a tight, brass-blessed ensemble who have played much klezmer together, who have also listened to a lot of edge music of all stripes. Thus, the „Yid in Seattle“, despite the fact that it more features Dave Harris‘ trombone over Glenn Dickson’s clarinet, still has a krechts and even a sense of „kvetch“ that inform a freer, more relaxed jazz/prog rock improvisational innard. There is a part of me that finds myself harking back to the approach of, say, Weather Report, at times, and then finding myself going, „oh, don’t be silly! this is klezmer!“.
Here’s the irony. Even though this album feels freer of the „klezmer“ label that still haunted the first Naftule’s Dream album, there is more here that is definably, obviously klezmer. The more the band has integrated the various tunes and sounds in its collective head, the more things have become distinct parts of something that feels much more organically whole.
Where many of the musicians recording for John Zorn’s „Radical Jewish Culture“ label are using the recordings as a place to explore what „Jewish“ means, or might mean for them, looking inward. This does not appear to be Naftule’s Dream’s dream. Rather, having explored Yiddish culture and klezmer, they are looking out to see where it leads them.
Oh, the music. This is music that defines the edges, and will define the edges ten years from now. To have an ensemble of so many amazing musicians, pulling together and integrating so much of the world around them, is actually not so rare. To have it sound so good, that’s special. Smash! Clap! Clap! Clap!
The Klezmershack
„Weaving fiery improvisation into complex arrangements in a style reminescent of Mingus at his best, Boston based Naftule´s Dream has created an instrumental music of passion and intensity. Their album „Search for the Golden Dreydl“ has been released by John Zorn on his radical Jewish culture label Tzadik and the band has created a stir with regular performances at the Knitting Factory in New York and the international Ashkenaz Festival of New Yiddish Culture in Toronto.
From adventurous originals to surprising re-interpretations of traditional Jewish classics, Naftule´s Dream draws on the exotic modalism of eastern Europe, the improvising aesthetic of new jazz and the hard edged rhythms of rock, Middle Eastern music and klezmer. With its award winning composers and virtuosic improvisors, Naftule´s Dream walks the line between free improvisation and tight composition“.